A survey conducted by Belgium's Centre for Information about the Media (CIM) reveals that though Belgians are fond of audiovisual content, there is a growing generational divide in preferences.
Released on Tuesday, the findings show that audiovisual content remains popular, with 97% of Belgians having watched videos and 86% having listened to audio in the previous 30 days.
To that end, TV and radio continue to be the most common mediums that Belgians consume with 95.5% of homes owning at least one television set and respondents saying that they mainly listen to music on radio.
However, digital devices are becoming more prevalent in Belgian homes, with over 75% owning a smartphone and a laptop. Smartphone are the second-most popular device for watching videos and the third for listening to audio material among 12 to 34-year-olds.
Digital divide
This growing generational gap is also apparent in the type of video content that people watch. Although television remains the most viewed video content (79.9% of all respondents have watched live TV in the past 30 days), this is not the case for those aged 12 to 24, where streaming platforms take first place (representing more than 40% for all Belgians).
Audio media follow a similar pattern, with over 74.9% listening to radio, followed by streaming services, which are used by over 25%. However, according to the report, it is the most popular way for young people to consume music.
